Lakeside Table

  • Home
  • Shop
  • Recipe Index
  • Julia Child Picture Project
  • About Me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Recipe Index
  • Julia Child Picture Project
  • About Me
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Recipe Index
  • Julia Child Picture Project
  • About Me
ร—
Home ยป Adventures & Travel Tips

How to Find Morel Mushrooms in Illinois

Published: Apr 30, 2018 ยท Modified: Nov 9, 2018 by Madalaine ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท

Being a novice morel hunter myself, I sat down with Firefly Grill's own Dean Samuel (Kristie's dad) and chatted with him about how to find morel mushrooms here in the midwest.ย  Gray, white, and yellow morels grow in forest areas all throughout the midwest near ash and elm trees.ย  They have a mild earthy nutty flavor and a long shelf life.ย  However, they're growing season is only a few short weeks between March and the beginning of May.ย  Best way to serve them up?ย  Try them battered and lightly fried or (like in the recipe pictured below) in a creamy mushroom sauce.ย  Want the recipe?ย  Check it out here:ย Sous Vide Chicken Breast with Morel Mushroom Sauce

chicken breast smothered in morel mushroom sauce with rice and spinach salad on a plate

If you don't live here in Illinois, don't fret.ย ย They're also found as far north as the middle of Minnesota, northern Michigan, and even in the southern parts of Maine!ย  They trail all the way down to north Texas too.ย  Then they skim the northern borders of the southern states over to South Carolina.ย  Completing their loop as they shimmy up to the midwest state of Ohio.ย  Finally for a big finish, they jump to the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains of Oregon.ย  I'm sure a missed a state or two, but you get the idea.ย  They have a long reach, a short growing season, and they're terribly difficult to find.ย  But tons of fun to look for! (Note: Plan B at the bottom of the post)

A hand holding 4 morel mushrooms

How To Find Morel Mushrooms... Know Your Trees

Specifically, know how to identify ash and elm trees.ย  This is particularly challenging when there are no leaves on them!ย  That leaves you two options: 1) scout out your trees the year before (bwahahaha! Like that's going to happen!) or 2) Google "What does ash and elm tree bark look like."ย  I opted for the latter.ย  After looking at 14,570 pictures of elm bark, I realized couldn't tell the difference between the barks of an elm, oak, and maple trees, but then I discovered that the bark of an ash tree is distinctive!ย  Hallelujah!ย ย 

Ash Tree
Ash Tree - Can you see the diamond shapes in the bark?

If the ash or elm is dead, your chances of finding morels increase dramatically.ย  Morels don't confine themselves to the base of the tree.ย  They can be anywhere in it's shadow, up to 30 or 40 feet from the tree.ย  Dean suggests: "once you find a morel, don't pick it right away.ย  Use it as a center point and start to make a circular sweep out from that point.ย  If there's one, there's bound to be more!ย  Also, they grow like wildfire for several years after a forest fire!"

Close up of Ash Tree trunk
Here's a closer look at the bark.

Look for them at the right time

Morels start popping up when the soil first starts to warm, usually from the end of March to mid May as you move north.ย  In our neck of the woods here in central Illinois, we usually start seeing them in mid to late April.ย  They like well drained soil on southern facing slopes.

Violet flower in brown leaves

One of the nicest things about morel hunting is seeing the first flowers of spring!ย  The other thing I like about this time of year, it's not buggy and the chances of walking head first into a ginormous spiderweb (complete with a HUGE spider) is next to ZERO!!!ย  You still want to spray yourself down with bug spray because there are plenty of ticks that would love to find you.ย  Wear long sleeves, jeans, a hat (ticks fall down from the trees) and good walking boots or shoes.

Tread softly and carry a big stick

A white morel mushroom hiding in fallen leaves
Can you see the morel hiding in the leaves? It's the same color as the leaves around it. No wonder these little 'shrooms are so hard to find!!!

Finding morels is the culinary equivalent of the proverbial "needle in a haystack."ย  As you can plainly tell from the picture of above.ย  They are the Navy Seals in full blown stealth mode of the mushroom kingdom.

Morel mushroom revealed!
Disclosure alert: After a long and unproductive search, I went to our local grocery store enlisted the aid of these morel "actors." ????

White morel mushroom in the woods

White morel mushroom hiding in the woods

Plan B...

Before I chatted Dean up about this elusive morsels, I asked another successful morel hunter and very good friend of ours, Tom Mette, for his insight on how to find morel mushrooms.ย  Tom mentioned having excellent luck in the Shawnee National Park in southern Illinois and also suggested Plan B.ย  And what is Plan B???ย  Well, if you follow all these tips and still come up empty handed, make sure you take with you these 3 things when you go on your morel adventure.ย  1) Your sweetheart, 2) a bottle of wine and 3) a comfy blanket.ย  When you get tired of the search, spread out the blanket and enjoy the early days of spring in the fresh forest air and warm sun!ย  I couldn't agree more!As an end note, if you have any friends who would also like to know how to find morel mushrooms please feel free to share this post

More Adventures & Travel Tips

  • Niall, Kristie and Camden in front of Firefly
    Farm to Fork ~ Planning a Restaurant Garden
  • Pork Wellington - This is a cheap and easy spinoff of the classic Beef Wellington, but it is super tasty. Looks fancy but it's really easy! | www.lakesidetable.com
    Pork Wellington: Recipe, History & Sides
  • osteria pastella florence italy
    Osteria Pastella & Sibilla: Exceptional Dining in Italy
  • Boos iBlock GIVEAWAY for More Fun in the Kitchen

Comments

  1. Sue Keenan says

    May 11, 2018 at 9:38 am

    Madalaine
    I must try this recipe... My mother, Fletcher Jansen was a master morel finder in her day and tried to make me one also, but I failed miserably. I would step on more than I found. We would pack or lunch and blanket and she would have two bags full and I might have 5 to 7 measly mushrooms. Such great memories. She would fry them in a very light batter. DELISH, YUM YUM. Dean might remember my mother as he was a good friend of my twin brother, Jim who passed away in1970. Also love the crab cake site with you and your father, and I believe your mother was on one of your blogs. SO GREAT. Always enjoy your adventures and recipes

    • Madalaine says

      August 11, 2018 at 7:56 am

      Hi Sue! I'm so happy you liked this recipe! I made it again this week and had it over grilled chicken and had enough left over to smoother over some sous vide pork chops. Lol! What wonderful memories of morel hunting you have!!! You've had more luck with them than I have, but truly the real joy is in making the memories and spending time with loved ones. ๐Ÿ™‚ Can't wait to see you and John soon!

  2. steve perry says

    November 25, 2018 at 11:11 pm

    This is some really good information on finding the elusive Morels. I used to hunt them with my dad and grandpa when I was young. I am going to look for the Ash trees next Spring.

    I usually like to smell the first one I find, its like it gives me the scent to continue the hunt! lol

Woman with short curly red hair in blue collared shirt smiling in a kitchen.

Welcome!

Hi Iโ€™m Madalaine and I love helping people have FUN in their kitchen. You'll find lots of easy-to-follow gluten-free recipes and tons of tips I learned in culinary school.ย  Most of my recipes are French-inspired butย allย of my recipes are family favorites.

Be sure to check out my cookbook Lakeside Table SAUCES ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿผ. 

More about me

Popular

  • serving platter with meatloaf surrounded by beans, potatoes, and carrots
    Make Ahead Meatloaf | Easy Recipe for Happy Dinners
  • No Carb Pancake Recipe - This will keep you in ketosis but it feels like a pure indulgence. I love this easy recipe! | www.lakesidetable.com
    How to Use a Whipped Cream Dispenser Recipe
  • golden yellow classic hollandaise sauce over poached egg and english muffin
    Classic Hollandaise Sauce for One in 1 Easy Minute
  • Foolproof Poached Egg in 5 Easy Steps

Seasonal

  • white bowl full of red cabbage soup with green parsley on top with lemon, parsley and a red lid in background
    Detox Cabbage Soup for a New Year
  • Magic leek soup with book French women don't get fat
    Emily in Paris Magic Leek Soup So Good!
  • Date Night Dinners: 3 full meals inspired by 3 romantic cities. 3 Step by Step menus you can make ahead of time so you can have FUN in your kitchen!
    How to Make a Flourless Chocolate Torte (Recipe)
  • close up of thick slice of corned beef oven baked on a white plate
    How to Make Winning Corned Beef Recipe | Results are in!

Check Out My Cookbook!

cookbook shown as a hardback and on a tablet

This is the PERFECT GIFT for your favorite foodie.  I gift-wrap each one before I ship them out. SAUCES is a 300-page hardback coffee table centerpiece with beautiful photos of each recipe.

This cookbook is packed with both sauce recipes AND dishes that complement them.

sample cookbook pages with chicken in pan and piccata sauce

Footer

โ†‘ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Services
  • FAQ

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright ยฉ 2025 Lakeside Table